Martin Luther King Junior Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

Opened in August of 2011, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is located on four acres in the West Potomac Park and is part of the National Park Service. Its official address, 1964 Independence Avenue, is in reference to the year the Civil Rights Act became Law.

The centerpiece of the memorial is the Stone of Hope, a 30′ tall relief of Dr. King that visitors reach after walking past two large pieces of granite called the Mountains of Despair. All of these pieces are in reference to Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech where he said, “Out of a mountain of despair a stone of hope.” The Inscription Wall contains passages from 14 of Dr. King’s sermons, speeches and writings.